Sir John Daniel
Honorary Fellow
Sir John Daniel (1961, Metallurgy and Science of Materials) is a prominent educationalist and university leader. He came to the Hall in 1961 to study Metallurgy & Science of Materials and then moved to the University of Paris where he completed his DSc in nuclear metallurgy. He is currently the Chancellor of the Acsenda School of Management in Vancouver.
During his first academic appointment at the Ecole Poytechnique of the Université de Montréal he began to study educational technology and has been a key figure in distance education and open learning for over 40 years. He spent 17 years as a university vice-chancellor in Canada (Laurentian University) and the UK (The Open University). After leaving the Open University in 2001 he embarked on a second career in international development, first as UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education (2001-2004) and then as President of the Commonwealth of Learning (2004-2012).
While serving as the third Vice-Chancellor at the Open University, Sir John oversaw significant changes, including the federalisation of the funding arrangements for UK higher education, growth in student numbers from 100,000 to 200,000, the rapid expansion of online teaching and major international expansion.
Lately he has worked on a variety of international projects, including a role as Education Master at the Beijing DeTao Masters Academy in China. In 2012 he became Chair of the International Board of the United World Colleges, which have increased in number from 12 to 17 during his tenure
He has received national honours in France, Canada and the UK. Knighted by the Queen in 1994 for services to higher education, he was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada in 2013 and is the recipient of 32 honorary doctorates from universities in 17 countries.
